Total carbon dioxide emissions from vehicular tailpipes, home furnaces and other sources have declined 17 percent since 2004, according to 2010 data -- the latest -- announced by DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

"We know that our state has been a leader, legislatively, in the past," he said. "We also know that in the last 3½ years we've had to deal with some of the most severe weather occurrences that we've ever experienced on a back-to-back-to-back basis. And there is no clearer sign of the danger of greenhouse gases and other pollutants than on the effects on weather that we've experienced."

The state reached more than half the emission cuts required by 2020 and Malloy believes the state will attain them before the deadline. Residential emissions dropped 24 percent since 2004. Tailpipe emissions have declined 17 percent since 2004, Malloy said, noting that stricter emission standards, combined with new electric plug-in stations and mass-transit initiatives, have helped.

"Connecticut rolled our emissions back to 1990 levels in 2008, two years sooner than what was called for in the goals that were set under an international agreement between New England governors and the Eastern Canadian Premiers in 2001," Malloy said. "And now we're on a trajectory to meet the 2020 Global Warming Solutions Act mandate to have emissions 10 percent lower than the 1990 levels, much sooner."

Crest Mechanical Services, a downtown Hartford engineering and metal fabricating firm that saves $22,000 a year on electricity from rooftop solar panels, was the site of a news conference touting the state's progress in reducing greenhouse gases linked to global climate change.

Connecticut is part of a multistate market-based effort called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to cut power plant emissions while protecting ratepayers and generating funds for energy efficiency and renewable energy resources. The state was recently shown to be one of the top-three lowest carbon dioxide-producing states per unit of economic output.

The DEEP report was required as part of the state's 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act.

After the news conference, Malloy led reporters, company officials and state regulators up to the roof of the 34,000-square-foot building overlooking busy Interstate 84 to view the 55-kilowatt solar panels, which were purchased through a $145,000 loan from Connecticut's first-in-the-nation Green Bank.

Crest Mechanical Services is one of several companies that won energy-efficiency loans.

Klee added that Connecticut also has a first-in-the-nation microgrid program aimed at supporting small areas of cities in becoming energy self-sufficient; and the charging stations aimed at reducing "range anxiety" for electric car owners.

"Connecticut has been an early and effective leader on the efforts to reduce carbon emissions," Klee said. "We get it here. We understand that climate change is real, it's happening and the only way to slow the impact is to reduce our release of carbon emissions in the atmosphere."

More information about the state's green energy effort and Green Bank loan program is available at C-Pace.com.